- With a nearly Triple Plus (A++ to A+++) side one and a seriously good Double Plus (A++) side two, this copy will be very hard to beat – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
- Prince’s legendary 1984 release here was big and rich, with rock solid energy to beat any pressing you have ever heard
- Clean and clear and open are nice qualities to have, but rich and smooth are harder to come by on this record – and here they are!
- 5 stars: “Purple Rain finds Prince consolidating his funk and R&B roots while moving boldly into pop, rock, and heavy metal with nine superbly crafted songs… a stunning statement of purpose that remains one of the most exciting rock & roll albums ever recorded.
The first ten or fifteen seconds of the edge on side one is a bit tickier than the grade.
The best copies, like this one, sound pretty much the way the best copies of most Classic Rock records sound: tonally correct, rich, clear, sweet, smooth, open, present, lively, big, spacious, Tubey Magical, with breathy vocals and little to no spit, grit, grain or grunge.
That’s the sound of analog, and the best copies of The Purple Rain have that sound. (more…)